Allow us to hold polls or tear up all accords: Dahal
SANTOSH POKHAREL
POKHARA, Jan 20: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has threatened to throw away all the agreements reached with other political parties if the current government is not allowed to hold elections by May-end.
Chairman Dahal announced going against what he said were conspiracies being hatched against their desire to institutionalize the achievements of the historic Janaandolan II of April, 2006.
“If we are not allowed to hold elections [by May-end] all the agreements reached in the past will be torn up, the Nepali people will tear them up. And ´such criminals´ will be punished,” he warned.
Addressing the fifth Kaski district convention of the UCPN (Maoist) in Pokhara on Saturday, Dahal said their upcoming general convention will prepare the ground for assuming leadership against such conspiracies, through a new political line. Dahal asked other parties not to take as weakness on the part of the Maoists the latter´s attempts to institutionalize the achievements realised so far through peaceful means.
“Do not think about pushing the Maoists into a corner. The Maoists showed themselves flexible. The party chose to integrate its army to conclude the peace process. Do not think that the Maoists do not have anything now,” he warned.
“If all these moves are deemed as our weakness, we will move ahead with 30 million people. New forms of revolt will be organized," he said. "We will come up with this political line. People, therefore, need not worry.”
Stating that his party was now encircled from all sides, Dahal came down heavily against the opposition parties for not extending cooperation for holding fresh elections. "Is it the Maoists that did not allow the holding of elections? Absolutely not. Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the president are to blame for this,” he said.
Dahal alleged that ordinances related to fresh elections have been pending at the President´s Office for the past several months because of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.
"Our party and the government are open on the alternative of holding fresh elections. We wish there could be consensus and elections at the earliest," he said while adding that there was still a possibility of holding the polls by May-end if there was consensus among the parties in the next two-three days.
On the occasion, Chairman Dahal said that efforts were made to encircle the Maoists from various quarters, including through the arrest of NA Colonel Kumar Lama in the UK and through the case involving the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa in Dailekh.
Also addressing the function, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai criticized the opposition parties for trying to raise the issue of human rights violations during the conflict period.
"We have proposed to investigate crimes against humanity through a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But an ordinance related to the TRC is pending at the President´s Office since the past six months," the prime minister said. It may be recalled that the ordinance was stalled for lack of concensus among the political parties as the Maoists had unilaterally included an amnesty provision for henious crimes.
Meanwhile, addressing a function in Kathmandu earlier on Saturday, Maoist Chairman Dahal accused opposition parties of not coming to a consensus for fear of going to fresh elections.
"Opposition parties are not ready for consensus. Instead, they are hell-bent on foiling the achievements obtained through the people´s sacrifices and contributions. The country will not get an outlet until people discourage such practices," RSS reported Dahal as saying.
Inaugurating the party´s Central Library and Information Center at the party headquarters at Parisdanda, Dahal said consensus among the parties remained elusive due to the opposition parties´ hunger for power and their fear of facing CA elections.
Asking opposition parties to withdraw their protests, Dahal also said that only dialogue and talks could help end the ongoing deadlock.
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Allow Us To Hold Polls Or Tear Up All Accords: Dahal
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